“Sharing the same chassis design as its 3010 series, but boasting double the clout,” Exposure’s new duo of amps replaces the former MCX series at the top end of the brand’s range. Hi-Fi News reviewer Andrew Everard is mightily impressed, finding them as convincing on detail and finesse as they are on power and grip.

Exposure’s new 5010 series sits at the top of a range that runs from the entry-level 1010 series, through the 2010S2 (series 2) and 3010S2 series of amplifiers, plus the award-winning half-width XM series (‘Exposure mini’).

Exposure 5010 series: preamp (titanium finish)

While each of these series offers a portfolio of complementary components including integrated amplifiers, CD players and headphone amps, the top-end 5010 series focuses simply on a preamp and a pair of mono power amps. Which isn’t to say that there aren’t options, since the preamp has the option of a plug-on DAC input board or a choice of MM or MC phono input boards, all designed for easy self-fitting. But, in true Exposure style, the 5010 series hones purposefully in on its primary purpose, opting for directness and simplicity and avoiding the temptation to build in everything but the kitchen sink or to offer a bewildering array of menu-driven options.

Exposure 5010 series: mono power amps (black finish)

“The 5010s therefore have a sense of no-nonsense authority about them before you play a single note,” writes Everard. And, as editor Paul Miller’s lab report shows, “that’s more than backed up by extremely low noise and distortion along with more than enough headroom to ensure the amps can drive just about any speakers you might throw at them.”

Everard’s listening tests run the musical gamut from Phil Spector to Beethoven, and Sad Café to Moondog. “This Exposure trio shows clear all-round ability, and is at home thundering out music at full charge as they are when delighting with the sheer amount of clarity and information on offer… this is an entirely balanced presentation, adept at turning on the aggression when the music demands it and at illuminating the finer details of an intricate recording.”

Read Andrew Everard’s full review in the November 2018 issue of Hi-Fi News